The present invention relates generally to a ballot box, and more particularly to a collapsible ballot box which may be utilized with electronic ballot scanning devices.
Voting systems—the procedures by which we cast votes and elect our public officials—are a crucial part of the democratic election process. Typically, marked ballot cards are deposited in sealed ballot boxes at the polling location. The sealed ballot boxes are then transported to a central location where the votes are tallied, either by hand counting or by use of an electronic tallying device. Because ballot collection takes place at a location different from the counting location, the possibility of tampering with ballots exists. For example, ballot cards can be removed from the ballot collection box while in transit to the counting location.
Thus, the need for a more secure voting system exists. One such improved system involves the use of an electronic ballot tabulator at the place of voting whose size is roughly close to that of a mechanical adding machine. This tabulator accepts printed ballots that have been marked by the voter, through an inlet slot. Then after tabulating the voter's selections, the machine ejects the ballot card through a discharge slot. In a more elaborate form, the ballot tabulating machine can be provided with one or more additional discharge slots, so that ballots of one category, such as write-in ballots, can be ejected through one slot, and ballots of another category, such as marked ballots, can be ejected through another slot, allowing for separate storage of the two ballot types. It is envisioned that many jurisdictions will promulgate regulations requiring that all tabulated ballots be retained in secure containers. It will, therefore, be necessary to provide ballot boxes capable of collecting the tabulated ballots of different categories directly from the tabulator machine and maintain them in separate and secure chambers.
It will further be necessary that such a ballot box provide a support for the tabulating machine such that the machine is at a convenient height for the voter to insert his ballot. It must be stable enough to support the weight of the machine and a leaning voter. Also, it must provide tamper proof ballot compartments.
It is also necessary that a ballot box be compact for convenience of transport and storage. Moreover, it must be economical to manufacture.
In view of the aforementioned needs and the shortcomings of the prior art, it is, therefore, a general object of the present invention to provide a ballot box for use with an electronic ballot tabulator which will receive tabulated ballots directly from the ballot tabulating machine and retain the ballots in separate, secure compartments.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a ballot box that is collapsible for storage and transport.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a ballot box which has a separate auxiliary compartment that can receive ballots temporarily, if, for some reason, the ballot tabulating machine becomes inoperative.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a ballot box which is secure of tampering and fraud during the voting, counting and/or transporting of ballot cards.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be clearly understood through a consideration of the following detailed description.